Locomotive drifting device.



R. M. LICKLEY.

LOCOMOTIVE DRIFTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, I915.

Patented Au 6, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R. M. LICKLEY.

LOCOMOTIVE DRIFTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, 1915.

l ,055 I Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

VIEW/mists. In ra/r1012. v 7 0744% ESTAi A errant. 1titcizinn z, o r-isiisns grimy chimp, oHIo, ns'srcivon, BY nssrm sssrcimnirrs, r THE rmeennmrec'rvnmc coiwrrmvr, or omvsnsnp, 01110, A consents "nouo'rfomm Lev 5,055

Be itknown that I, RALPH State of] bio; have. invented and ef l I P W m ll m Diiftingj-Devicesj'o'f whic an a clear," ndures;

ing by; momentjiim or gravit h bviating the abrasion of the valve seat genaqcyiinder 'and the. carbonizetion of the" lnbricant'otherwise liableto'occur; My systhe live steam, not only when is.tli'e. ocoznotive is bnt when it is standing, so that the discharglng steam acts fas .a blower to maintain-the draft, and also serves to keep the;cylinders werm,=reduc- ,e'gainstarted. r Y

I accompl'sh the above results by providlingf'a; system ofpipesfor conveying steam the cylinders,and an aut0mat1c valve jcontrollin z .thepassage through suchv pipe and; itself controlled by the pressure conditions inthe valve chest througha. pipe connect-ing the automatic valve therewith My automatic valve operates upon reduction 1n H Esteem l pressurein the valveichest following theclosing of the throttle, but before such 4 0 'stehm.'pressi1re-is' reduced to atmospheric fpressure. This steam of reclucedipressnre entell the cylinder through the distribute 4 orspartihl vacuum, in either the valve chest cylinder, endvno tendenc for the prod iicts bfcombilstioh to be cylindexx- My invention is hereinafter more fully explained in connection with""an'i1lus- -tra'tiveembodiment thereof, a-ml the 'essen- "$0 tia'l characteristics ere snmmanud m the claim. w l In the drawings --Fi%ui we -1 is a side eleva}; tion and 2 is. .p

p a zin of-my equipment mounted on a typical locomotive; Fig. 3

Specification of Iletters fatent c Mm m: citizen of the United States, at Eajst, Glevelendin thelcountyof-Gnyehoga andte ii' i fi shown in solid lines. designates the casging the condensationwhen the 'locomotiveis' mgve ve ports, there is never a vacuum,

rawn into the mum.

LfocoMo'rifvE nn'rnrriie;nnvrcn i Patented Aug. 6, Lists;

Application filed Febrnary 9; 1915. Serial 110.1153.

a longitudinal central section of m'y'con- 56 trolling valvepFig. 4 is a plan of half of.

.snch-valve; Fig. 5 is' a verticel'cross section 'gof'the'sanie half of the valve on the line ini diccteclby'5-5 on Fig. 3 ;-Fig. 6 is a vertical section of piping and check vzilves' conff-nectingthe forward portion of mysteam dellvery pipe with both ends of the cylinder. Referr ng first tel-the broken. lines in and 2A designates the steem specs f-the'loco'motive, B the usual. turret con nected therewith, Q the cylinder, D the ,v'alve chest, E 'Tthe dry pipe and F the throttle.

In Figs. 1 anal-F2; niy attachmentsnre U i mg ofniy hutornatictalve, the interior of motivei' is. driftin Y l, "supply of live steam. As shown, this con- .nection is tothe turretB through a, suitable normally opencshnt-ofi valve 13; vlllxtenoling from -the' cesing 10 are two pipes 15 which lead to'suitable-points in the two cylinders of thelocomotive: The connection may be variously made to 'the cylinder, as desired, but" I prefer to connect the forward end of so the pipe 15 py a T with pipes 16 leading to the two ends of the cylinder. 17 indicates a pipe leading from one of the valve chestsor from the dry p'pe ofthe locomotivefback to the "alve casing, 10. I 85 I will now describe the movable member within the casing 10 which operates nnder the influence of the pressurecomiitiohs in the pipe '17 toconnect the pipe 11 with the A simple way to accomplish. the desired movement of the movable valve member is to oppose the valve-ohest-pressure acting to move the valve member in one direction by a spring tending to move in the other direction. This is the construction shown in Fig. where indicates the movable valve member shown as provided with three pistons 21', 22 and 23, and given a tendency .the movement of the valve member. bosses 28' and 30 alsoact to position the to movetoward the right by a helical compression spring 25. The intermediatepiston '22 acts as a valve plug controlling the exit ports 40 to the pipe 15. For convenience of construction the three pistons are formed on a single central stem 27, while'on the" outer sides of the pistons 21 and 23 are extensions of the stem or bosses 28 and 29. Each of these bosses, by abutting an inward boss 30 or 31'on the end caps 32 or 33, limits The spring 25.

By niak'ng the piston member of the sym- -1netrical form shown so that it may be inserted in the casing, either endforemost, and by making the end caps duplicates of each other,' I simplify and cheapen the con-- struction and reduce the chance of any error in assemblage. If itbe desired to increase the force of the spring 25,.it is only necessary to place one or' more washers about the boss between' the spring and ca 32.1f

he pipell from the live steam supply is connected by a union with an'ext'ension 36 of the casing 10, and is in'op'en communication with the interior and conveys live steam in-all positionsof the piston valve between the pistons 21 and 22. These pistons beingof -the same size, the pressure is balancedand the live steam 'gives the pistons no tendency to move. Fig. 53 shows the positionof the pistons when the throttle isclosed ;-t-hat is, while the locomotive is drifting or standing. During such-periods there is a minimum of pressure in the valve chest and the force of the spring 25 pushes the pistons to the right, as shown in that figure, as hereinafter more fully explained.

When the engine is running there is necessarily steam pressure in the pipe 17 because it is directly connected with the valve xwhich pressure, in the old operation, drops below the atmospheric pressure and causes the troublesome inrush from the stack. With my construction, however, as soon as the steam pressure in the valve chest has dropped to a certain minimum, for ex ample,--to a few pounds above the atmos phere, the spring 25 being no longer opposed by a corresponding pressure the piston 23, moves the pistons to the right into off communication to the pipes 15.

BEST AVAILABLE cos the position shown in Fig. 3, andthis ad -1nits livesteam fromithe pipe ll through the ports 40 into the annular passageway i1 which is connected by unions 42 with the pipes 15 leading to the cylinders.

Such admission of live steam prevents any vacuum being formed in the cylinders, and, as this steam is discharged throughthe valve chest and into the stack it acts as a blower for the fire, and it serves to -main-. .tain the cylinder hot. Whenever the throttle is open a aim the pressure in the pipe 19- immediate y counter-balances the spring 25 and forces the piston to the left, shutting Any leakage ofste-am past the piston 21 is carried away by the drip pipe 45 leading to the atmosphere. -Any leakage of steam from the pipe '11 past the/piston 22 or from j. the pipe '17 pastthe piston 23 into the space between these-pistons has no tendency to o1ve the piston'structure, and is immaterm The simple automatic valve shown, it will be seen, provides the desired steam admission tothe cylinder whenever the-throttle is closed, doing away with the evils of suction into the cylinder and valve chest while drifting, and providing heat and blowing action while standing. There is no tendency whatever of the locomotive to start into motion by reason of an accumulation ,of steam pressure in the cylinders while standing, because the steam is admitted directly to the cylinder on both sides of the piston and not to the valve chest-admission at the latter point being dangerous, as it may .accumulate sufliciently to drive the on no.

Since to connect the pipe 15 direct y to the center of the cylinder would allow the formation of some vacuum in the end of the cylinder until the 'piston has moved past the middle of its stroke and opened the central admission point, I prefer to connect the pipes 15 withthe two ends of the cylinder. When so connected, I provide check valves preventing circulation of steam from one end of the cylinder to the other when the locomotive is being driven.

Fig. Sshows'a convenient system of piping and check valves t the two ends of the cylinder. In this case the pipe 15 is connected by a T 53 with two'pipes 16, which are connected by unions 50 with elbows 51, which are tapped at 52 into the cylinder wall adjacent to its ends. Within each elbow i s. a chamber occupied by a ball 54, which is adapted to be seated by the cylinder pressure against a seat 56 on the entrance pertion of the elbow. in ordinary running, the pipe 15 is closed and one or the other of the balls 54 is held against its seat by pressure in the corresponding end of the cylinder, so

to the other is prevented. When drifting,

however, the pressure in forces the balls 54 away from their seats and feeds the two ends of the cylinder, as desired. This same admission of steam may 6 continue afterthe engine has come to a stand-still and may be advantageous in main- .taining the cylinders hot, or it may be shut ofi, at the cab to save steam. Even if continued indefinitely, it would not operate to 10 start the locomotive, for one side of the Pieton is usually open to the exhaust. This will furnish a vent for the additional steam, relieving'it as fast as it is suppl1ed,and no pressure will build up at the cylinders.

Should the distributing valve happen to be into which are screwed suitable closure plugs 57 each form dwith an inwardly extending boss 58,- normally forming a stop for the ball. Suitable wings 59 carried'by the wall of the elbow properly guide the ball.

the pipes 15 and 16 BEST AVAILABLE GOP communication with the steam chestz undcnl the control of said distributing valve, a conduit leading from the boiler independentlyof the throttle and leading by branches directly to both ends of the cylinder independ ently of the distributing valve, checkvalves in said branches preventing by-passing from one end of the cylinder to the other, an automatic valve in said conduit between the check valves and boiler, said automatic valve having constantly acting means tending to open it and having a pressure-responsive device in communication with the steam chest adapted to close it.;.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RALPH M. LICKLEY.

Witnesses: a

ALBERT H. BATEs, JUSTIN W. MAOKLIN. 

